On Sept. 27, the Milwaukee Bucks of the NBA announced that they had acquired Damian Lillard, a seven-time all-star point guard, in a three-way trade. The Portland Trail Blazers, in return for Lillard’s departure, received center Deandre Ayton and forward Toumani Camara from the Phoenix Suns as well as Jrue Holiday, who they later traded to the Boston Celtics, and a couple of draft picks from the Milwaukee Bucks. The Phoenix Suns welcomed center Jusuf Nurkic, shooting guard Keon Johnson, and small forward Nassir Little from Portland and landed shooting guard Grayson Allen from Milwaukee. 

Lillard requested a trade out of Portland on July 2, the second day of NBA free agency, after the Blazers renewed forward Jerami Grant’s contract to a five-year, 16 million deal and officially signed rookie Scoot Henderson. Lillard had been the cornerstone of the Blazers franchise for the past 11 years when he averaged 25.2 points per game with a consistent 43.9 field goal percentage. On Dec. 22, 2022, Lillard became the franchise leading scorer of the Trail Blazers, passing legendary swingman Clyde Drexler in the category.

This is a rather surprising ending to the Lillard trade saga. The former Portland star demonstrated strong interest in joining the Miami Heat, the 2023 Eastern Conference champion. However, according to The Athletic, the Blazers showed reluctance to have a sincere conversation with Miami, while other NBA teams inquired about potential trade packages for Lillard. As it seemed like the trade was stalled, Bucks’ superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo appeared to be hesitant about extending his contract with the team. “Winning a championship comes first,” Antetokounmpo said in an interview with The New York Times, “I don’t want to be 20 years on the same team and [not] win another championship.” Sensing the urgency to keep Antetokounmpo in Milwaukee, the Bucks started engaging in serious talks with the Blazers in hopes of pairing Lillard up with Antetoukounmpo. Eventually, at the expense of an emotional farewell to Holiday and Allen along with some draft rights compensations, the Milwaukee Bucks rose above and landed Lillard before the NBA preseason. 

This three-way trade will likely be beneficial for all parties involved. For the Blazers, getting rid of Lillard–who publicly declared his desire to leave the team–before their training camp starts will not only help with their morale but also establish Henderson, the second-overall pick of the 2023 NBA draft, as the future leader of their squad. The Blazers, on Oct. 1, then traded Holiday, the three-time all-NBA defensive team point guard, to the Celtics for center Robert Williams III, guard Malcolm Brogdon, and future first-round picks. The Phoenix Suns finally ended their messy relationship with Ayton, who had been discontent with the team and former head coach Monty Williams, by booking him a ticket to Portland. Ayton, the former number one pick out of the University of Arizona, could play a bigger role offensively in his brand new start with the Blazers. 

The Suns also strengthened their roster by adding Nurkic as a potential starting center alongside their new “big three”—Devin Booker, Bradley Beal, and Keven Durant. Johnson and Little are both young players with the potential to be developed. Allen played an important role off the bench in Milwaukee spacing the floor and shooting efficiently from a distance. His offensive skill set provides depth to the Suns bench going into the new season. 

Milwaukee, nonetheless, might be the biggest winner of the trade simply with the arrival of Lillard. Lillard is currently at the peak of his career, averaging a career-high 32.2 points in his final season with the Blazers. The one-two punch of Lillard and Antetokounmpo will be beyond formidable for all NBA teams. Lillard has been known for his deep three-pointers while Giannis’ impact inside the perimeter remains phenomenal, making 65 % of his attempts in the paint. Lillard’s extended range will force his defender to pick him up early as he crosses halfcourt, enabling the Bucks to set high pick-and-rolls with him handling the ball. A strong on-ball screen set by Antetokounmpo for Lillard will force the bigger defender to guard up in an attempt to deter Lillard from shooting, but this will inevitably create a mismatch or an open lane for Antetokounmpo to take off and attack the rim. A pick-and-roll action between these two new teammates will create so many options offensively for the Bucks, challenging every other coach in the NBA to contain the powerful duo. 

Landing Lillard has made the Bucks even more competitive in their quest for another NBA championship. After replacing former head coach Mike Budenholzer with Adrian Griffin, the Bucks are ready for their venture in the 2023–24 NBA season. Could anyone stop Lillard and Antetokounmpo? How far could the Celtics go in the increasingly competitive Eastern Conference? The 78th NBA season will soon start on Oct. 24, with the Denver Nuggets hosting the Los Angeles Lakers and a matchup between the Phoenix Suns and the Golden State Warriors. The new iconic duo of Milwaukee will possibly make their first appearance in the Bucks’ season opener at home, where they take on the Philadelphia 76ers on Oct. 26.